We have not done a summer meet-up before, but now we have, and it was exactly what 'The Creatives' needed.

Everyone has been shaken up and around and somehow we are all landing in new places with new visions and aspirations.

All of it, a good thing.

The core of 'The Creatives' are moving on in many different ways.  They are growing, moulding, making and meditating on everything new.

Montreal 

Denmark

British Columbia

Asia?

...

Everyone has a timeline and a place they belong.

For the core, there have been changes and for the new there will be growth and more changes.

Connecting with the old and the new has created a new development of growth and change.

Autumn is bringing us to a new and different place.

For all the development and changes we give thanks.

May Autumn see us, shiny bright and new in ways we have ever imagined.  

Spiritual Wellness

I stare up at my new home.  The ocean across the street and the breeze lifts the sails of a boat across the way.  The seagulls cry and remind me that this was the home of my family.  My roots are here and I was made for 'here'.

I see the doors of the homes that line this street, some old and some new.  I laugh.

Everything in life that is meant to be is so 'unhinged'. 

I remember standing on a dock only months ago praying and asking for that abundance.  Not for the bigness, but for the smallness that my heart wanted to share.

Let me share the ocean and let me share the ocean air with my daughter and others.  "Is that too much to ask?"  I had prayed.

We walk in a world that likes to tell us no.  It's as simple as that.  

What we think is a world of 'we can be anything' is actually a world of nos.  

It's not a pessimistic take, it's just the way this universe turns.  

But it's upside down, so those no's are yes's and the yes's we receive may actually be no's. 

How topsy turvy.  How can we trust in anything bigger than us to guide us to the right place?

Have you come against a door that seems shut tight and won't budge?

We all have windows and doors.  What are they saying?

Are we trying to wedge them open when in fact they want to stay closed to protect us?  Are we passing open windows and doors without even knowing it?

This street that I am moving to...it's a street I spent my whole life on.  Yet I thought it wasn't for me.  And here we are walking to the ocean with our daughter in tow just as I used to run the street as a girl.  

Sometimes it's the doors we don't see that are unhinged and ready for us to walk through the door frames. 

Look for your unhinged doors.  They are all over the place.  

Social Wellness 

It was this image on a TV show that we saw.  An image of a family gathered around a table and the dynamics that occurred when they did.  Everyone so different yet there was a unity that survived around that table.

They had gathered.

Many of us long for this type of ease.  But is it ease?  How do we balance the high demands of real life with the desire to stay connected and respectful of each other?

Getting an extended family gathered routinely creates an opportunity for unity and understanding.

What keeps us from gathered?

Expectations, technology, schedule conflicts .... a myriad of life.  

How can we connect in an 'organic' way with our close and extended family?  Can it be a routine added or a sporadic moment?  A moment to unplug from our screens and share in an activity?  Or simply a weekly walk?

Whatever works for your family dynamic, gathering takes initiative and is a journey into wellness with each other.

Get creative.

What works for your family? 

Our little family made some changes right before Zoë was born.  We looked at our fridge and our finances and decided that it was time we focused on 'the fresh'.  Don't get us wrong, we had always focused on a certain element of healthy eating, but this was different.  This was a commitment to learning about fresh food and our body chemistry in tandem.  

Knowledge, as they say, is power.

1) Fresh fruits and vegetables is natures natural way to support your immune, digestive system and overall body chemistry.  

There is a deep science to how our bodies take in the food we eat.  Wether we eat (chemically) processed or unprocessed foods our body will reap the benefits/negatives. The boost received from fresh food encourages health and weight loss. 

2) Supporting local farms is one of the best gifts you can give to your community/citys' economy.  

Farmers and other crop growers are in constant competition with imported goods.  Buying what is fresh and in season in your area will not only be good for your lifestyle, but will benefit the community as a whole.

3) Eating fresh means buying in season.  

Even if not all the in season fruits and vegetables are our favourite, it really forces us to find creative ways to prepare, eat and enjoy those foods.

4) Consuming fresh fruits and vegetables encourages a lifestyle of 'full nutritious calories'. 

Fruits and Vegetables are high in calories but in all the right ways.  Eating fresh helps us avoid the 'empty calories' that other foods would provide.

5) It's pretty.  

Let's be honest.  For all those instagrammers, there is nothing more stunning than photos of fresh food.  Who knows exactly why, but eating fresh sure makes documenting mealtime more enjoyable!  ;)

Emotional & Spiritual Wellness

Sometimes it feels like we are in the quiet. The no nothing movement of life.  Everyone is rushing by us.  Swimming upstream and gaining momentum, and we, are stuck in a pool where everything is still and unmoving.  

But is it?

That is where the growing begins.  Tadpoles and baby fish are born here.  They start their lives in the quiet of the water.

And somehow, in some miraculous move of life, they are shoved back out into the rushing torrent of a stream.

This is what a friend relayed to me and this is how life can be.

Pools are the unmoving of soon to be miracles.

We love the rush and thriving of a busy thrumming exciting life.

It will come.

It will go.

There will always be pools.

And rapids. 

Emotional Wellness

It's a practice that is harder than it seems.

I sit with a best friend and every now and then we lift our phones to our faces and check on the neediness of the outside world.

We've talked about this before.  Neither of us are trying to be rude or even think much of when the other lifts a screen to a face, but, there is a difference.

We have worked harder to be more present and that is probably why there are rarely any instagram pictures of us doing life side by side in our different but bestie ways.  We don't pick up our phones the way we used to,.

And I practice when I am with my daughter to slide that airplane mode on my phone so that when I record how long she has fed, or take pictures of her I am not getting bombarded with messages at the same time.  

Trying to be present.

Being present means we embrace the airplane mode, we slow down and we look another in the eyes.

It's a work in progress.

How are you at being present?  Does your smart phone become a filler when you have nothing else to add.  Are you using a screen as a crutch?  How much more would you enjoy or not enjoy life by being more present in your dailys?

Nursing on the Halifax Waterfront

DISCLAIMER:  I never want to assume that what I have expierenced would be helpful or needed by another new mama.  I know all too well, that becoming a new mom is a journey that is uniquely yours and how you want to journey it, is precious and sacred.  May this never be read as a "For All" but for "those who ask and need it."

This is my list:

1) Positive or negative, this is your journey.  

However you look at pregnancy, birth, motherhood, the choice is yours.  You can embrace the changes or gripe about them.  Surround yourself with those who want to journey alongside you in the way that feeds your spirit. 

2) People say the worst things, find a vent buddy.  

Humans say things.  Be it 'how big you look', how 'you must be carrying a boy', 'enjoy your life now, you'll never get it back', or the constant questions on 'how you are going to decorate the nursery'... if I didn't have a few friends to vent to I would have gone bonkers.  

3) Find What Feels Good (@yogawithadriene reference) How you want to labour is your decision.  

Tub, squatting, standing...don't let anyone convince you of anything other than what is natural to you in that moment.  You are the expert on you and your baby, trust in the process.  

4) Embrace the poop, blood, and gunk.  

Birthing is a messy and stunning process.  Being able to laugh and not feel ashamed of your labour and body is an amazing thing.  

5) Own your unique birth story.  

Birthing is a process we should prepare for physically, mentally spiritually and emotionally, yet YOUR story is an unpredictable one.  However your wee one enters this world, it's the story that you both share.  Let it empower you.   

6) Embrace skin to skin with your newborn.  

Even though I was prepared to want to do skin to skin with my daughter I had no idea how amazing it was.  It works wonders for your emotions, processing and to the understanding of the new role as mama to your baby.

7) Bring your own food to the hospital.

My husband and I did a lot of research of what food my body would need after birthing our daughter.  We are so thankful we had done this. Even though the hospital food was 'okay', having my own oatmeal, prunes, protein shakes, electrolyte drinks, fruit bars, etc,  gave me the boosts I needed during those first three days.  

8) The hospital is not a relaxing place.  Limit visitors. 

By the time you have birthed your baby you have probably been awake for more than twenty-four hours.  If you had a natural labour with no drugs, you probably will be on an adrenaline high. All of which is normal, natural and is the hormones your body needs to bond with your new bundle.  If you have torn during delivery, you will probably be in the birthing room for an extra hour after the placenta is delivered.  By the time you get to your room (HIGHLY RECOMMEND PRIVATE) it will be much later.  Paper work and processing take time.  Depending on how progressive the hospital is, they will discourage vistors and encourage you to bond and rest with your baby as much as you can.  I didn't realize how important quiet time was until after that first day.  A new mama doesn't just have to adjust with the needs of her new baby, but she is also dealing with the (WARNING TMI --------> ) lochia a.k.a. postnatal bleeding, hormone dips, exhaustion, soreness, stitches, nutrition intake, bowel movements, peeing, showering, nurses checking on mom and baby every 15 minutes to an hour, blood tests and maybe even more.   The last thing a new mama needs, no matter how picture worthy, the first few days of a baby's life are, is to have 'people' around while she figures out recovery and her new baby.   

9) Never feel guilty for saying no.  

Making decisions based off of your needs for health and wellness is a priority.  Saying no to attending events, a certain energy in a conversation, things for you or baby, visitors, or any expectation are decisions that only you can make.  Feel confident in standing up for yourself.   

And lastly....

10) Don't apologize for putting yourself first.  

Putting yourself first, especially during the last month and the first two months post partum helps to not only recover faster, but in a way that is balanced.  Your health and wellness is more important than satisfying visitors and those that want to 'be' with your baby.  You need to be at your top so you can be bonded and give your baby the round the clock care no one else will be able to give.  ORDER OF IMPORTANCE:  Mama first, baby second, partner third and everyone else last.  

Environmental Wellness

I have forever been an organizer and cleaner.  It could be that family trait from my moms side.  That trait that has a few of us itching to straighten things up and put things back in their places.  Or it is my need for an environment that doesn't cause me stress.  

Disorganization and too many things have always caused stress to build within me.

Let's be clear. 

Decluttering doesn't have to be a full on 'minimalist' turn around.  Although if you feel called to live minimally I wouldn't blame you.

When we declutter our environments from the unnecessary items we are giving our whole beings  mind, body and soul an atmosphere worth existing in.

Healthy environments help us to function in our day to day with joy and discovery.

Often, decluttering can go hand in hand with being successful in other areas of our lives.

In the end, things are just things.  It's the daily moments of living we should be living for.  What doesn't serve you doesn't deserve you. 

Do you need to declutter certain areas of your life?  Is there a part in your living space that is keeping you from doing the things you want to do?  

We didn't realize it then but this was the last meet up before the summer break.  

It was obvious yet my new mama brain wasn't connecting those dots.  If I had I might have held these women together for a few extra minutes before closing the door after such a moving evening.

We sat there as we usually do, eating and communing with each others unique selves.  Food on the table like a feast and glasses tinkling with beverage of choice.  I relish these women, all so unique and vibrant.

Yoga Instructor

Photographer

Actor/Writer

Performer

Advisor

Sculpter

Endless light in one room.

We shifted in our seats as we shared the newness of one of us creatives having a baby.  Some of us unsure, and some of us beaming.

New is always so mysterious, so unknown and captivating.

And that's the sometimes heart wrenching thing about the lives we choose to lead.  That our lives are not predictable and our circumstances change in a quick minute. 

Some of us are facing this new season with glittering eyes, and some of us are facing unknowns that make us shiver and quake.  Are we capable of withstanding this wind?  Can we stand amongst all the others?

And thats the thing with Creatives,  We put ourselves out there again and again no matter the weather.  Our directions may change but our surging forth does not.  We may not end up where we started out but we all surge forward and insist on our creative selves having a place in this world.

So we're embarking on a new season of our lives and this time it's real and not a phony attempt at our dreams.  This one is real life and even if it doesn't look like a shiny new pony it will be exactly what it should be.

Until Autumn. 

Emotional Wellness

Whether you naturally seek out routines or find them hard to implement, they are essential to finding an emotional balance in your day to day.

Watching our almost two-month-old daughter fall into her own cycle (gently guided by us) of awake, eat, sleep has reminded me of how that balance keeps us thriving.  I see a huge difference in her day if part of that routine has been disrupted.  One minute she is a happy, contented baby girl and the next she can be wailing with the disruption to her 'natural' rhythm. 

What's your rhythm?

Having a routine for yourself be it just a morning or an evening ritual will impart a sense of understanding and security into your emotional wellbeing.

My husband and I, since pregnancy have routinely taken a shower or bath together every night.  It accidentally, but enjoyably, become a routine that has created an emotional intimacy and relational wellness between us.

Routines do not have to be related to chores or to do lists.  Routines can be the simple things in life we do to create a peaceful lifestyle.

What kind of routines/rhythms do you have?  Are you capable of finding the things you need to create a balance emotionally?

Brirthing Zoë.  Many people have asked me to tell the story.  Some expect a tale of agony and negativity, others expect a retelling play by play of a 'movie' scene. 

I have neither.

What I do have, is a marathon experience I will never forget.

Birthing Zoë was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had and I know, if given the opportunity to bring another life into this world I will do it again in a heartbeat.

It started between 10:00 - 11:00pm.  My husband, Jeremy and I were soaking the bathtub (something I highly recommend to all pregnant women and couples in general) when I began feeling what were the beginning of contractions.  They were mild and could only be explained as cramps at that point in time, but they felt oddly more patterned than the cramps I was experiencing off and on the past two to three weeks.  

"I'll time them to see if they are the real thing."  Jeremy said, urging me to tell him when I felt something.

"Now."  I replied when I felt a slight cramp.

"It's gone."  I would reply when it had ended.

This went on for a while when we realized, that if this indeed was the real thing, we needed to get as much sleep as possible.

Of course, I didn't get sleep after that, but after a call at around 1am to our Doula, Jeremy was able to sleep for the next almost two hours while I worked through the rest of the mild contractions.  

They progressed for the next few hours from mild to moderatly strong.  I went from laying beside Jeremy with phone in hand going through pinterest and saving motivational birth quotes to my camera roll and as phone wallpaper to motivate me, to getting out of bed and breathing through more powerful contractions that made me sway with the intensity.

Are they painful? So many people have asked.

What is pain?  Is all I can respond with.  When your body is doing something right, do we feel it as pain?  Pain is what our brains tell us it is.  I chose to see these powerful surges as ocean waves my body was experiencing to bring this baby down and into my arms.  I am not sure that I remember feeling 'pain', but I remember thinking "THIS IS INTENSE!"

Intense it is and intense it was.

Between 3 and 4am I woke Jeremy up and told him it was time to be awake and help bring our bags to the car.  I was going to stay in the shower.  I let my body expierence the surges get stronger and stronger in the shower until the inevitable for me.  I began to transition from contractions that were 7-9 minutes apart to contractions 4-6 minutes apart and I vomitted my dinner as the water poured over my body.  I turned off the shower, giving up on that kind of relaxation teqnique.  

Between 4am- 5am our Doula arrived and the contractions were now 4-5 minutes apart.  We moved to the bathroom where she helped get my yoga mat and exercise ball in place for me to kneel and have support.

By 6-7am we made the transition to the hospital where my contractions were then a consistent 1-2 minutes apart.  The registration office tried to downplay my need to be seen right away, but it became obvious very quickly that 'first baby' or not, I was in very active labour.  The transition from seeing the nurse in registration to being seen upstairs on the labour floor did take more time than I was in the mood for, but I stayed focus on the waves and laughed when I was asked to lay down so they could check my cervix.

"Your kidding!?"  I remember saying after another wave subsided and another began.  I did get on the bed, and she did check my cervix.  All the while, I was telling myself that labour can take days for some people and that I needed to not care about numbers, time, or how fast things were progressing.  I needed to stay present.  That was my only job.  

Stay present and strong.

"You are six centemters."  She said.

I tried not to let that number excite me, but I do remember giving myself a mental high five and inward dance.

From there, they transferred me to our room and again, I inwardly laughed when the nurse pointed at the bed. 

"In what world does that look comfortable?"  I said to myself with inward snark. "But this looks great."  I walked towards a huge garbage can and vomitted again.  It felt good to know I was transitioning from stage to stage well.  

"Tub." is what I remember saying to my doula and Jeremy.  And there I stayed in the tub on all fours, on my side and sitting holding onto a bar.  

I didn't say much out loud, or make noises.  Noise bothered me, and probably because I had so much going on in my head.  Inside I was talking a mile a minute to myself.

I said things like 

"I am going to do this and be amazing."

"This could take more than twenty four hours.  Don't have expectations, just do this."

"These are the precious moments our lives are made of."

And I had endless lyrics and beats filtering through my mind as well:

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller ...."

"One jump ahead of the breadline ....I steal only what I can't afford, and thats everything....Riffraff street rat, I don't buy that..."

In some ways it felt like time had stopped.  In others it felt like time flew by fast and before I knew it I was on all fours in the tub, with all kinds of things floating along with me.  Jeremy wasn't phased by what my body was shedding.  Blood, poop, membranes... it was all apart of the process and as I glanced at the floaters I remember thinking 

"This is the real *shit* right here.  This labour thing, it's more real than any poop I've ever had."

Before I knew it my body was pushing.  What they don't tell you about pushing, is that it really isn't an option.  Like a sneeze, or vomiting, it is a neccessary action your body doesn't give you a choice on.  Nobody tells animals when to push, and I guess thats why I accepted the pushing when it came.  

"Trust in God, and trust your body."  Our doula whispered in my ear when the pushing began.  

I could feel Zoë's head in my pelvis and I thought she was going to come out right then.  The nurse and doctors had no idea how far along this was until finally they checked and I could hear the bustling began.  Jeremy and the nurse lifted me out of the tub and onto the bed.  It was an unfortanate positioning that I got stuck in.  I couldn't get my body to change positions after she entered my pelvis so on my back I was.  

There I pushed for almost an hour, and to some that might seem exaushting.  But this was my favourite part.  I felt like I was in the biggest workout session of my life.  Every push felt so rewarding and full of a rush I cannot explain.  

If it were not for the membrane still over her head, she would have been out in no time, but of course, Zoë and I couldn't make it too easy for everyone.  With every push she would come farther out but get sucked back in because of the pressure of the membrane.  And I knew this because the Doctor, who was Katherine Heigals doppelgänger, was explaining all of this to her resident.  

"I AM IN A GREYS ANATOMY EPISODE!!!!!!!! THIS IS TOO COOL!"  I said to myself, and only hoped Jeremy was thinking the same thing.  "Too bad theres not brain surgeon needed... maybe he would look like Patrick Dempsy."  

Needless to say, at 11:53 I gave that final push that felt like all my intestines were falling out of my body, but was actually all of Zoë and her umbilical cord. I was grappling for her as she layed on my lower abdomen.  She wasn't yet cut from me, yet I wanted her as close to my face as I could get her.  She was so strong, so beauitful and utterly captivating.  I didn't check to see if she was a girl, because I already knew.  Mothers just know these things.

We snuggled and cuddled and the bonding process began.  I had always read about skin on skin bonding, how it has saved babies and moms lives just by doing it.  How it regulates both baby and mom, but it wasn't until Zoë was born that I truly understood how important.  This was essential to us and it was magical.  

There I was completely naked as I was when I was born and there she was herself, just as she is.

We were the most raw of ourselves.

It wasn't long after she was born that I began to talk everyones ear off.  Zoë was a strong little girl who was already lifting her head, climbing to the breast and feeding off me as if it was her last meal.  It was the her first of many.  

After a half hour without the placenta coming out naturally Dr. Katherine Heigal look alike told me she might have to think about giving me the pitocin shot to hurry things along.  I made a face, let another mild contraction wave build and pushed, letting the placenta fall out of me.

"You mean all I had to do was ask?"  She laughed.

"Pretty much."  I smirked, enjoying the high natural labour was giving me.

And that is where the problems arose.  

Due to the tears and extra membranes still inside me, my bleeding seemed abnormal and strange.  It was confusing to them as they inspected my placenta and saw it all intact yet still found membranes.  

They rolled my stomach like bread dough and Zoë still resting and nursing on my chest heard her mamas first yells.  

Labour was nothing.  Contractions and pushing was nothing that needed to be yelled about.  Just deep breathing and concentration.  

But.

When your stomach is being rolled out like dough to find if there is more blood to come out, that, my friend is the real unexpected painful moment.

All in all, it didnt last long, we made the decision to give me the pitocin my body needed to stop the bleeding and although they had to stitch me up, I was still in a very good mood and place.

"You've had such a good birth, I am really sorry we had to do this."  Dr. Heigal said to me as she watched her intern stitch me up.

"Oh it's okay!  It's probably a good thing you look like Katherine Heigal though."  I teased. 

"YES!  THANK-YOU!"  Jeremy exclaimed.  "I've been thinking that the whole time."

The room burst with laughter and I held Zoë tighter as they finished their work.

Once they were finished, the nurse helped me get up to shower.  The first time since she was conceived that I was separated from Zoë.  I missed her already.   I felt unsteady but strong.  Like a warrior and I looked at the key around my wrist.  I felt like I lived up to the word and was determined to continue that journey as I recovered with my daughter.

Settling back into the bed with sore lady places I took my halter top down and placed my daughter back onto my skin.  

And I ate and ate and ate.

I have never had as much food as I did that day and the next three days.  

I downed protien drinks, oatmeal, prunes, fruit bars, cookies and more.  

Once in our room Jeremy asked me what I wanted for dinner and a quick glance at the menu said it all.

"Waffle breakfast for dinner please!"  I grinned up at him with our daughter asleep in my arms.

It's been exactly seven weeks since that day and now, I still wear this key as I continue on my journey of Mama Wellness with the word Strength around my wrist.  I've watched the weight fall off as I have embraced my yoga practice, and introduced cardio back into my life.  We have embraced nutrition in a whole new way and those extra five pounds that are on their way out, they have taught me a lot.

I embrace the tiger stripes on my abdomen and although it makes me hesitant to wear a bikini I have found that sexiness isn't about how your body looks, but in how strong you are.

Strength is sexy

Scars are sexy.

And my tiger stripes are just another story that brings my husband and I closer together.

Mamas who embrace their strength and scars are the most sexy of women.

Physical Wellness

I've had to change the way I've been eating.  It was of my own decision.  I birthed a child and wanted to equip my body to breastfeed and begin shedding the weight I needed to sustain her properly.  There has never been this much fresh food in our fridge or on our table.  

Over the past six weeks I have watched the changes in my body.  The weight dropping off and the energy surging through my veins.  

Fresh food.

It's the fresh that keeps us going.  

It takes real effort to be 'fresh'.  It costs more and it takes a lot more effort to prepare.  The benefits?  Priceless.  

An investment in yourself that will keep on giving. 

What's on your plate?  What fresh foods do you love?  Have you given your body the nourishment it needs?

It was in January of 2014 that I began preparing for motherhood.  I decided I wasn't going to put my body in the position of child bearing until I had conditioned it in strength, endurance, health and wellness.    As the months passed by, I began to see how strengthening my body to support a life was paying off.  I felt the most alive I had ever felt.  

It was in June 2014 that I felt my body, mind and soul was ready for the carrying of a new life.

It was August 2014 that a pregnancy test came back positive.  I was pregnant.

It was September 2014 that we picked her name and I knew she was a Zoë.  Sometimes a mother just knows.

It was January 2015 that I knew I wanted to deliver as natural as possible and was needing a support system for the journey.  Adrienne Kelher joined my husband and I on the preparation for this girl.

It was May 3rd 2015, when Zoë Wing Zhe Lai was born.  A petite but healthy six pounds and twelve ounces, this little girl was all muscle tone and wild lungs.  

Now, it is June 11 2015, just under ten pounds away from my pre-birth weight and working hard to recover and help my body back into that place of strength and endurance again.  Zoë is over ten pounds, sleeping from 7pm - 10pm & 11pm - 4:30am, smiling and finding her voice.  We girls are strong women and both of us, with strong voices have been bonding.

Now I believe strongly in the importance of prenatal wellness preparation and postnatal wellness strategies.  Baby blues and Postpartum depression is very real and the societal knowledge of it is still spotty,  

Now I believe that the desires of mom and baby come first before any expectations.  We should be encouraging the mother and baby bonding before rushing to take over and 'hold'.  Babies are tiny humans with very small and still developing nervous systems with research now showing that their abilities to withstand being passed around and being over stimulated is low.  Moms are pressured to be sharing the one thing they worked hard to maintain and keep safe for almost a solid year.  The repreccusions of rushing the bonding process has detrimental health affects on both mom and baby.  

Now I believe in everyones individual birth story being a miracle and an amazing journey.

Now I believe that the journey to motherhood is holy, spiritual and a very individual process.  No one woman's journey is the same.  

Now I understand my own mother just a bit more.

And now,

I work hard to be the balanced and well mother that this girl deserves.

I dedicate my life to live by example and encourage her to seek her identity in the One who made her.  

She is Zoë, and I, am Amy.

Spiritual Wellness:

I was arrested here.  Brought back to and aligned with the spiritual side of me.  

We all have it.  A side that yearns for the part of this world that is all things abundance, growth, wonder and beauty.  Here in this moment by these stone steps: 

Captivated.

Captivation is the key to awakening your spiritual wellness.  What captivates you?  What arrests you in a moment and makes you pause?  Can you remember the last time you were captivated and felt that stirring.  That yearning that this world has more for you than the mundane?

The Creator wants to give you more, to captivate you by the beauty of this life that you breathe.  Yet it is so easy to miss, amidst the notions and commotions of the day to day.  

Open your eyes today, this week, this month.  Keep ready for a moment that captivates you, and sink into it.  Sink deep into the waters of your spirit.  Listen to it.  What is the whisper that tries so hard to cry out?